Folding box



C. AND 0. A. FLAGSTAD.

'FOLDING BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE-25, 1920.

Patented Oct. 117, 1922.

Patented @et. 17, 1922.

iarnrrnarorrs, iarnnnsora.

FOLDING BOX.

Application filed June 25,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CORNELL FLAGSTAD and Oscar A. FLAesrAn, citizens oi the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State oi Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Folding Box, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to iolding boxes, and it may be considered as a further improve. ment upon the structure specified in our United States Patent No. 1,26et,912, issued on the seventh day oi May, 1918. The exact features of improvement will be clearly expressed in the annexed claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a top view of our improved i olding box folded and the cover sealed. Fig. 2 is a top view of the box set up as when filled for shipping, the seal is substituted by a thumb catch. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged end view of the cover showing more clearly the locking bars and the means holding them locked. Fig. is a section on the line 5-5 in Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a slightly reduced end elevation of the set up box in Fig. 7,0mitting the greater part oi the base. Fig. 7 is a side elevation oi the box in set up or unfolded position.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, 10 designates a hollow base preferably of elongated form. It is adapted to contain all the other parts of the box when they are knocked down, and to constitute a base and portion of the box when it is set up.

Secured inside the base are four pairs of hinges, 11, 12, 13, 14 (see Fig. 7) each pair in a higher and higher position. To the hinges 11 is fixed the lower end of the end section 15 of the box. The hinges 12 hold the lower edge of side section 16; the hinges 13 hold the opposite side section 17, and the hinges 14 hold the end section 18. Each box section is preferably made up of vertical boards 19 or 20 secured together by horizontal cleats 19' and 20* respectively. This enables one to utilize short board pieces which would otherwise be wasted.

The upper cornersof the sections are interlocked in pairs by having one of them a fixed plate 21 with a gap 22 and a notch 23,

ISZOJ Serial No. 391,696.

the other having a plate 24; with a neck 25 to go into the notch and a head 26 adapted to pass into the gap 22 until the neck 25 of the head stops against the bot-tom edge 27 of the notch, and thereby stops the outward swinging of the sections when they are in vertical position as in Fig. 7.

A more exact description or these automatically locking corner irons being given in our said former patent, we need not herein further describe them. The new feature in the present case as regards said irons and box sections is that they are so arranged that of the three sections, 16, 17, 18, each one prevents the next section from folding inward and as to section 15 the same is held upright either by placing goods in the box against it when no cover is used or by the end oi the cover when the latter is used, as will pres-- ently be more fully described.

The cover 28 is provided at its underside with three cleats, 29, 80, 81. in the underside of the cleat 30 are secured two rigid fingers 32 adapted to be pushed into apertures in two metal plates 83 fixed on the end section 18; or when the box is folded said fingers enter into apertures. 34 in the members 14? of the hinges 14':

The other end or the cover is provided with two transversely slidable locking bars 35, (see Fig. 1) which slide in grooves in the cleat 81 in which they are retained by the cover 28 secured upon the cleat. Near the middle or the cleat a portion of the cover is cut away forming a space 36 in which is placed a locking plate 37 having one end hinged at 38 to one of the bars 35, the other end forms a fiat gooseneck 89 having in its end a notch straddling the upturned end 40 of the other locking bar 35. Secured in the cleat 31 is an upstanding bracket d1 having an aperture 12, near above the plate 37 the latter having a slot for the bracket to project upward through and receive either the strap 13 or' a seal 4 1 (see ,Fig. 1), or the plate 37 may be temporarily secured in horizontal position by a thumb catch 1-5 swung into the slotted aperture 4-2.

In the use or operation of the box, when the box is folded and the cover secured on it, the outer ends of the locking bars 35 engage in apertures in corner irons 46 secured inside the base and when the box is set up said locking bars engage in apertures in the corner irons 17 fixed on the side sections of the box and the cleat 31 resists inward falling of the end section 15 theother cleat 30 being resisted by the opposite end section 18.

To fold the box the plate 37 is raised to about vertical position the bars pulled toward each other; the thus unlocked end of the cover is raised and pulled with the fingers 32 out of engagement, the end section 15 is then folded upon the bottom 10 of the base; next is folded the side section 16, then the side section 17 and finally the end section 18, whereupon the cover may be adjusted and secured as in Figs. 1 and 2. In the last mentioned View it will be understood that 19 are the longitudinal cleats of Sections 16 and 17. To set up the box, raise first section 18, then section 17, then section 16 and lastly section 15, and then adjust the cover and latch it or seal it as may be desired. If the box is used for delivering grocery or for other service not requiring the cover, the latter may be omitted, and though the cover catches are such as to retain the section 15 in (upright position against accidental falling inward, such falling or pushing inward may be further resisted by placing some of the goods in the box against said section 15. And as long as said section is up it prevents the side sections from falling in; and falling inward of the end section 18, is prevented by either one or both of the side sections. Outward falling of the sections is prevented by the interlocking form of the corner irons as already explained, the necks 25 stopping against the bottoms 27, of the notches 23. i

W hat we claim is:

1. In a folding box, a hollow base, four box sections hinged with their lower edges to the inner side of the hollow base so as to fold one upon anotherinto the base, one of the sections being arranged to fold upon the I bottom of the'base, the other sections being hinged higher and higher up in successive order about the base, and locking means at the corners of the sections to automatically stop the sections from folding outward be yond alvertical position and the sections themselves engaging each other to prevent their unwarranted folding into the base, and a cover entering partly down betweenthe sections to aid in preventing their folding inward, and means for locking said cover in said position, said locking means comprising rigid fingers projecting from the under side-of one end of the cover into apertures in one end section of the box, and two oppositely arranged locking bars slidable in the other end of the cover and arranged to be projected laterally beyond the opposite edges of said end into cavities provided in the side sections, and means for retracting, projecting and locking said bars to the cover in projected position.

2. The structure specified in claim 1, said base having in its walls cavities for said fingers and locking bars of the cover when the box is folded and the cover placed partly down into the base upon the folded box sections. I

3. In a folding box, a hollow base and four walls to form the main body of the box, said walls being hinged to the base so as to fold upon each other therein, one of the Walls having near its top inward'cavities, and the two walls contiguous to it having in their ends furthest away from said first wall inward cavities near to their tops, a cover adapted to close the top of the box, said cover having fixed fingers arranged to engage in cavities of the first mentioned wall, and laterally projectable fingers arranged to engage in the cavities of the contiguous wall members. p

' i. The combination with abox having near its top inwardly open cavities in one of its walls, the walls contiguous to thisfirst mentioned wall having in their ends furthest away from said first wall, cavities. near to their tops, of a cover having at one end.

rigid fingers adapted to enter into thefirst mentioned cavities, and projectable fingers arranged to engage in the cavities of the walls contiguous to the first mentioned wall. 5. The structure specified in claim at, and means for locking the projectable fingers'in engaged position.

6. The combinationwith a box, of a cover having oppositely projectable fingers adapted to engage two oppositewalls of the box I said walls having means for said fingers to engage and hold the cover on the box, and means for locking a pair of such opposite fingers with the same one locking device.

7. The structure specifiedin claim 6, and means for sealing the locking device. 4

8. In combination, a box cover of four,- cornered construction so as to form four straight edges, rigid catches projecting from one of said edges, slidable catches arranged to be projected in opposite directions/from the two edges contiguous tothe edge having the rigid catches, and a box having means for all of said catches to engage and hold the cover in place and means for lockingthe slidable catches in projected position.

9. In a box or crate having atits upper edges means for engaging, a four-cornered cover having sliding catches exclusively on engage the said means in the box, and means for locking said sliding catches, when same are in engaged position.

and having on the corners of the opposite side stationary members, said members being adapted to engage in said means in. the base when the box or crate is folded and in said means in the folding sections when box or crate is set up.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

CORNELL FLAGSTAD. OSCAR A. FLAGSTAD. 

